Airship
The airship is the basic fighting force in Guns of Icarus Online. Background The airship is an air vehicle which is held aloft by a balloon filled with lighter-than-air gasses and uses propeller engines for locomotion. Airships exist in our world, although, because it takes so much fuel to lift even relatively lightweight cargo, they have mostly been abandoned in favor of airplanes. Experimentation in airships hit its peak around World War I; consequentially, in the world of Guns of Icarus, these airships are the primary form of transportation, as well as the backbone of gameplay in Guns of Icarus Online. History The first Airship was created and flown by Gabriel, it's name was Icarus. The largest airship in post-war history. "And yet though many portray Gabriel as a mechanical genius who could build an airship from nothing more than scraps and a wrench, it required nearly two decades of exploration, invention, and research to reproduce a similar aeronautical device. To this day, nothing of comparable size to the Icarus has ever been lifted – therefore it is this author’s opinion that the aerostat (and much of the weaponry) used by Gabriel was made of pre-war technology he discovered hidden somewhere in the Burren. We are left to wonder if he intended to share his discoveries."Source Parts of an Airship Helm Designated by a steering wheel icon, the Helm of an airship serves as the controls for the craft; consequentially, the aircraft may only be controlled by the player at the helm, and by extension most helm tools may only be used while controlling the airship. The Helm of an airship is the only part that cannot be damaged or broken by enemy fire. Weapon Mount Designated by a cannon icon, an airship's Weapon Mounts are where the Weapons are placed and by extension where the crewmen take control of them. Currently, there are two types of weapon mounts- small-sized weapon mounts and medium-sized weapon mounts- which in turn determine the variety of weapons that may be placed at that location while editing the ship layout. If a weapon mount breaks, that weapon cannot be used until it is rebuilt. Engine Marked by a propeller icon, the engines provide mobility for the airship. Engines come in two varieties: Large thrust engines that provide forward or backward propulsion, and smaller maneuvering engines that allow the craft to turn. Consequentially, when a thrust engine is broken the aircraft cannot accelerate ahead or astern until the engine is rebuilt, and the loss of a maneuvering engine will either disable the aircraft from turning or force it into a slow, lopsided spin. Most airships have one thrust engine and two maneuvering engines, but the Squid uniquely has two of each. Balloon Marked by a zeppelin icon, the Balloon allows the airship to stay in the air. While functioning, the balloon allows a captain to ascend or descend with the airship; if broken, the airship will be unable to ascend, and unless the balloon is rebuilt the craft will steadily decrease in altitude until it begins to scrape the ground, resulting in potentially-lethal hull damage. Hull Designated by a stylized ship icon, the hull of the ship displays the ship's damage level and also serves as a repair point for the main body of the ship. Hull integrity is measured in two ways: A top bar, designating armor, and a bottom bar, designating the ship's health. Damage is applied to armor until it is entirely depleted and the hull component breaks; at this point, additional damage is applied directly to the ship's health until the armor is rebuilt. While the ship's armor can be restored with repair tools, damage to the ship's health cannot be mended by any means, and when the ship's health is depleted it is destroyed. Types of Airships Currently there are 5 flyable types of airships in Guns of Icarus Online: Junker A utilitarian aircraft featuring a modest lower deck and five small weapon mountings: two on the top sides, two on the lower deck sides, and one on the front. Junkers allow for versatile and diverse weapon arrangements but the ship is comparatively slow, unmaneverable, and lightly-armored. Pyramidion An airship bearing distinct, pointed balloon armor in the style of a naval ram. Pyramidions have four small weapon mountings: two in the front, and two on the left-hand side. Pyramidions have a high speed but a comparatively slow turning speed, as well as low balloon health. Galleon The galleon is the largest airship currently playable in Guns of Icarus, with a three-level hull and six different gun mountings: two medium-sized weapons on either side, one small gun facing left, and one small gun facing to the rear. It is currently the only airship without a forward-facing weapon mount. Galleons are slow but very durable, and can loose powerful attacks from their broadsides. Squid A small, lightweight craft with an asymmetrical deck design and the helm on the left-hand side, with small weapon mountings at the front, rear, and right of the hull. Squid airships have light armor and low health but very high speed and exceptional maneuverability- perhaps owed to having four engines, more than any other craft in the game. Goldfish The goldfish is a medium-sized, well-rounded aircraft as well as the only craft other than a Galleon currently bearing a medium-sized weapon, placed at its front. An additional small weapon mounting is present on either side of the craft. Goldfish have the second highest health of any craft presently ingame- again, second only to the Galleon- which coupled with their well-rounded movement stats makes them a popular choice for many players. Icarus Also worth mentioning is the Icarus, Gabriel's ship, which is crewed in the first game; however, the Icarus has yet to appear in Guns of Icarus Online. Category:Sources